Automatic coin-operated time control switch mechanism



March 14, 1939.- L; GRUNBAUM 2,150,324

AUTOMATIOCOIN-QPERATED TIME CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Jan a, 1935 /nventor:

Patented Mar 14,19 39 I i u 2,150,324

s PATENT OFFICE I 2,156,324 i I AUTOMATIC COIN-OPERATED Tnmicon- I I TROL swrron MECHANISM Ludwig Griinbaum, Charlottenburg-Berlin, f Germany Application January 8, 1935, Serial No. 893. I In Germany January 12, 1934 UNITED-[STATE 2 Claims. =(o1.-'194-s') The present invention relates to. an'improvemediate wheels 22, 23, 24, 25 and26 by an elecment in automatic coin-operated time control tric motor 21. This motor is connected in parswitch mechanisms, the consumer current circuit i allel to .a resistance 28, the coils of which are of which-after being closed by the-dropping tapped. The individual taps are connected by 6 coinis interrupted when the consumption of wires with contact screws29fon a board 30 of electricity has reached-the coin value by the oper insulating material. Above the" contact screws atiorrof an electric motor running in dependence 29 are two contact screws 3| and 32, towhich are on the consumer current, through the medium of connected the consumer circuit wiresA'I and 48; acontact device. also two other contactscrews 33 and 34 to which The invention includes as one of its features an are connected the supply wires and A leaf 10 arrangement whereby shortly prior to complete spring 35 bearsat its end .upon the edge of the consumption of the current paid fora resistance disk I4, and this leaf spring is provided with a is switched into the consumer circuit to dim the contact surface 36 opposite the points of two lights inthe consumer circuit. a spring contacts 31 and 38. "The recess I5 of disk 'The accompanying drawing shows a form of I I4 holds the leaf spring 35 in position to close execution of the object of the present inventionl' contactwith spring contact 31, but not with con- A coin channel 3 isarranged swinging upon atact 38. The second recess I6 allows the leaf -pivot 2 within a casing 'I, and the upper end"4-. spring 35 to move out of contact with contact 31. which is suitably electrically insulated-of this An antifriction roller (not shown) may be procoin channel 3 stands opposite the coin slot 5 in vided on the leaf spring 35 to bear on disk I4; 20 the casing I. This upper-end 4 of the coin slot 3 I, Between the spring contacts 31 and 38 is a circuit has a projection 6 concentric to the pivot 2 and including a red S g l p 39, Which is Visible this projection covers'the coin; slot 5 as soon as from outside. through a casing window 40. the coin-channel 3 moves-in the clockwise rotaqWhen a coin is dropped through the slot 5 it tion. A rotation of .the coin; channel in opposite rolls down to the lower end 9 of the coin channel 25 dir ti i preventd by b t t l t ,3 until it comes into contact'with the circular grally connected with the right-hand wall of the insulated surface 8 or by its weight brings into I casing I. This abutment I consists of an insucontact a contact sp iC is ot S ow in Y lating piece having a running surface 8 concenthe drawing. The o Channel 3 is then swung tric to the pivot 2. An intermediate space is araround the pivot 2 by th Weight of t coin} until 0 ranged between this running surface 8 and the the-Coin s he d p by the abutment in y a right-hand end 9 of the coin channel 3, and this clamping spring not shown, so that the coin space narrows downwards suddenly and le ds channel3 will remain in its dotted line position over into a metallic guide I0 integral with a coin and the pivot 2 is then electrically connected to discharge opening II arranged directly above a he u e 1- Ow ng to this operation, the 35 cash-box I2.- I current-consumers will be electrically connected A circular disc I4 is rotatably mounted upon to the circuit by means of the conduits 4|, 42 and a shaft I3 and has two recesses I5 and I6 of 43, and by means of the coin and the coin chandiiferent depths. This disc I4 carries numbers nel 3, furthermore over the conduits 44, 45 and on its front face so arrangedas to be readable the resistance 28 and over the conduits 46, 41, 48 40 through a window I! in the front wall of the and 49. The electric motor 21 is then shunted casing I. This window I1 is covered by a projecto the resistance 28 and begins to rotate, thus tion (not shown) arranged upon a spring 35 durstarting slowly to turn the disc I4 in the direction ing the time when this spring is in engagement of the arrow A through the gearing 26, 25, 24, 23,

with the recess IS. The numbers on the disk 22, 2 20, I9 and I8. Thereby the spring 35 will 45 indicate the value of the current vyet to be conbe forced out of engagement with the recess I6, sumed, before-the switch will be opened. ForI- whereby its contact surface 36 comes first into instance, ifthe device is designed to be operated contact with the spring 31 and then with the by 50-cent pieces, each number onthe disk indispring 38, thus closing the circuit between the 50 cates the number of tencents worths of current conduits 42 and 45. In the further rotation of 50 still available. a A worm wheel I8 is mounted the disc I4 a pin 50 O this disc is pressed in its upon the shaft I3 of the disc I4 and this worm downward movement against the upper wall of wheel I8 operates by engagement with the worm the coin channel 3 in such way that the latter I9, which by means of a shaft 20 is connected swings upon its pivot 2 in clockwise direction,

with a gear wheel 2I operated through interwhereby the coin is forced backwards in the coin- 55 channel'3', until the end 9 for this coin channel comes above the coin channel I I. Then the coin drops through this channel H into the cash-box l2, and now the conduits 42 and 45 will only be connected by the parts 35--38. When the disc I proceeds to turn further, and the pin 50 moves upwards again, the coin channel 3 goes back to its original position under the influence of a counterweight 5! arranged at the end 4 of the coin channel 3 in such way that the coin-slot is again uncovered to allow of inserting another coin. While this turning operation of the disc I 4 takes place, the contact-spring 35 drops again.

to the value of the inserted coin, and allows him to drop in another coin, if desired, to prevent the automatic disconnection of the current supply, thereby bringing the coin-channel 3 again in the above-described manner into the dotted line posi tion bridging-over lamp 39 by means of the conduits 43 and 44. If, however, no new coin is inserted, the lower end of the spring 35 will finally snap into the recess l 6, thus also interrupting the contact between the spring 37 and the contact face 38, and thereby disconnecting all current consumers until, by the insertion of a new coin in the above-described manner, the springs 35 and 38 by means of the conduits 43 and M as well as by the coin-channel 3, the coin and the contact-piece ID will again be bridged-over. The motor 2! is shown in the present form of execution of this invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, as connected to the first and sixth contact screws 29 counted from the right hand. To fit the device to any other current tariff or to any other voltage or kind of current, another one of these contact screws 29 may be selected for connection to the motor whereby the speed of the motor 21, and thereby also the running time 'of the disc I4, may be adjusted to requirement.

If several kinds of coins of various denominations are to be used, a special slot or a special coin-channel and a special contact may be provided for each denomination whereby each closed contact connects the one motor conduit with av resistance corresponding to the value of the coin.

An indicating device may be provided allowing of recognizing which kind of coin has been last inserted.

The casing of the apparatus may be secured firmly to the wall by four openings 52, 53, 54 and 55 in the casing in such a way that the removal of the apparatus can only take place after opening the locked casing which should be suitably sealed. The cash-box 12 containing the coins is arranged so as to allow of its easy removal, after unlocking the cover of the main casing, to be replaced again after having been emptied. The cover of the casing might suitably consist of 2 parts, the upper part of which could be secured to the casing by a sealed screw while the lower part may be hinged and provided with a lock for allowing the emptying of the cash-box.

Having thus described the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, what is asked to be protected by Letters Patent 1. In a device for controlling the supply of electricity to a consumer circuit, a switch for i.

disconnecting the consumer circuit from a supply line, motor operated means for closing said switch and holding the same closed during a definite number of revolutions of said motor, said motor being connected in series with the consumer circuit so that its starting is controlled and its speed varied in direct proportion with the supply of electricity to the consumer circuit, and a circuit for temporarily bridging said switch to start said motor, including a movable coin channel and I? contact means at one end thereof in position to be electrically connected to said chanel by a coin in. the channel, and means moved by said motor for shifting said channel to a position to discharge the coin and interrupt said bridging circuit.

2. In a device for controlling the supply of ,electricity to a consumer circuit, a switch for disconnecting the consumer circuit from a supply line, means to hold said switch closed to supply i a definite amount of electricity to the consumer 7 LUDWIG GRiiNBAUM. 

